This Sunday, OGC Nice hosts FC Lorient, as part of matchday 23 of Ligue 1. Without Elye Wahi, who is injured, the entire red and black attacking sector will need to be reorganized. All the pre-match information for the encounter is available here.
It was the big bad news from the last match of OGC Nice! In addition to their defeat at Lyon (0-2), the Gym also lost Elye Wahi, for several weeks. Struck in the opening seconds of the match, which forced him to leave the field prematurely, the striker is suffering from a severe ankle sprain. An injury that should keep him out of competition for several weeks and which is not helping the Côte d’Azur club, which is heavily dependent on its only winter signing since his arrival on the French Riviera in January.
In his absence, Claude Puel will need to find the right formula to get a performing Gym back on the offensive front. In Ligue 1, the Gym only occupies 12th place among the most prolific attacks since the start of the 2025/26 season (27 goals scored in 22 matches). The solution to this puzzle should not be named Kevin Carlos. The other striker in the red and black squad still hasn’t scored a single goal since his arrival last summer in Ligue 1. Struggling, the Spaniard stands out mainly for his poor technique and his immense clumsiness in front of goal.
A new milestone reached for Ndayishimiye and Abdelmonem
Elye Wahi is not the only offensive player from OGC Nice to withdraw from this match. Isak Jansson has also joined the Gym’s medical room in recent days. Suffering from a knee sprain, the Swede is logically not able to take his place for this new home match (kick-off on Sunday at 17:15 at the Allianz Riviera). Moïse Bombito is still injured, but Melvin Bard is close to making a comeback. Absent from the last Nice matches, the fullback has returned to collective training this week. His presence remains uncertain against the Merlus.
The good news of the week concerns Youssouf Ndayishimiye and Mohamed Abdelmonem. Victims of a cruciate ligament injury at the end of last season, the two Nice defenders will play again. Initially, this will happen with the elite group of OGC Nice, next Wednesday, during a friendly match against RC Grasse. The Gym has received clearance from the medical staff to field these two players for this match. The two Eagles finally see light at the end of the tunnel. Their return with the professional squad is expected before the end of the championship.
Across from them, FC Lorient occupies 8th place in Ligue 1, with eight more points on the board. The Merlus are one of the pleasant surprises of this Ligue 1 season. With a clear style of play and individuals who have taken a step up, the men of Olivier Pantaloni are starting to dream big. This Lorient side should not be underestimated, as they relaunched themselves last weekend against Angers (2-0). Lorient won the first meeting between the two teams (3-1), a match that preceded the violent clashes between players and red and black supporters at the Nice training center.
Probable lineups:
Nice: Dupé – Clauss, Oppong, Dante (C), Abdi – Sanson, Vanhoutte, Diop – Bernardeau, Cho, Louchet
Lorient: Mvogo – Silva, Talbi, Yongwa – Le Bris, Cadiou, Abergel (C), Kouassi – Pagis, Dieng, Makengo
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